1 Corinthians 3.9

The analogy that we are God's field seems so peaceful, so tranquil.

That is, until we realize what God has in store for His field.  God's field is to be a place that produces the fruit of salvation, or, translating into Lutheranese, the "grain of grace".  :-)  God does not plan to just let His field grow wild with weeds.  This shouldn't surprise us.  It goes way back...remember where this whole Biblical story began?  In a garden!   Jesus was a carpenter, but God is a gardener!

Have you ever seen what a gardener does to a field?  I'm sure it doesn't make the field very happy at first.

First, the field gets tilled.  A blade is used to cut open the green, grassy surface of the field and turn it over.  This exposes the dirt underneath.  Nobody wants their dirt exposed.  But, honest confession is the beginning to something new for the field.  Tilling is a rough and harsh process for the field to endure.  The gardener runs his blade back and forth with what seems little care or gentleness.  Tilling is a rough process, a painful process the field is reluctant to accept.  Though the field may not understand, at first, this tilling process is actually an act of the gardener's love for his field.

Once tilled, the field is ready for planting.  Into this mess of mangled topsoil and dirt the gardener plants his precious seed.  The seed gives hope to the once wild, estranged field.  From the field's perspective, the pain of the tilling process is still very raw, and the seed too small to appreciate.  But, soon the seed will grow and the soil will heal, then the field will appreciate what the gardener has done for it.

Next, the gardener waters his newly seeded field.  Spring rains baptize the field, washing into every crack and crevice cleansing it, while nourishing the seed to life.  The water brings forth the first sprouts of new life deep inside the belly of the field, still undetected by the world above.  The field remains unaware of what all this means, but is beginning to realize that it will never be the same wild field it once was.  Yet, sensing that somehow what it is becoming is much better than what it was.

In time, the entire field transforms into a crop.  The once hidden gifts that sprouted up deep in the soil begin to reach higher and higher to God, growing stronger and more noticeable to the world.  The field is now showing forth something brand new..something very good.

Then the weeds come.  Just as the field is beginning to appreciate this new life growing within, the weeds of the past return.  They once made the field wild, and they threaten to do that again.  The weeds begin to choke and kill the young crop; robbing it of nourishment and blocking it from light.  Now, the gardener comes to protect his chosen field.  Where the weeds are not too entangled with the crop, they are uprooted and destroyed.  Where the weeds are entangled, the gardener allows them to grow together so as to not risk the loss of even one of his precious little ones.

In time the crop bears the "grain of grace" (or fruit of the gospel--whichever you prefer).   It is harvested and used to feed people who are desperately hungry for it.  This makes the field very thankful to have been chosen by the gardener.  Now, the field welcomes the next tilling and trusts the gardener.

You are God's precious and chosen field.

Lent is the tilling season.  Trust the Good Gardener.

Heavenly Gardener, open me, turn my insides out, prepare me to receive your seeds of grace.  Amen.

Joel 2:12

It starts with a feeling that begins somewhere deep within the soul. It fills your body, taking over your senses; taking over your mind, your self-control. Then, like a drop of rain that signals a downpour, your eyes fill up and the tears begin to fall. You're in the grip of a good cry. When it comes, you're powerless to stop it. But, before long, your emotions are literally poured out...and, this is a good thing.

Why we cry may seem obvious.  You're happy or your sad.  But, in truth that is too simplistic.  Crying is a natural physiological response to feelings that are triggered by emotions.  For men, typically the tears do not come easy.  Up until recently, crying was seen as a sign of weakness in a man's character.  Fortunately, this myth has been debunked in this century and men are given more liberty to bawl their eyes out from time to time.  Even President George Bush's tears were seen as heartfelt when he cried over the events of September 11th, 2001.  And, any man in a service uniform who sheds a tear or two during the national anthem is given the respect of a hero.

For some of us, crying comes much easier.   Our kids cry when their feelings are injured, when we leave them with the sitter, or when they are asked to hug a relative they view as a stranger.  Some of us cry when watching a movie, listening to a song, when a passing thought runs across our minds, when we've hit the lotto jackpot, when we're slapped with a lawsuit, when our children make us proud, when the daughter gets married. We cry tears of revenge, seduction, escape and empathy; tears of pleasure and pain. The biblical history of tears shows us David crying at the death of Absalom, Abraham over the death of Sarah. Joseph bawled when meeting Benjamin. And, Jesus wept, according to that famously short verse in John's gospel.

Some even have the ability to get a little misty on cue. Jimmy Swaggart wept in an attempt to keep his ministry afloat. Sally Struthers got teary on TV when she'd plead for support for Save the Children.  And, we all remember Tammy Faye Baker's weeping escapades that single-handedly assured her favorite mascara brand a long and bright economic future.

The prophet Joel is convinced that our tears must be genuine.  Joel calls for a return to God with all your heart.  God isn't interested in crocodile tears, or any other tears used to manipulate others.  Nor is God interested in the physiological explanation for why we cry.  God wants the tears that open us up, make us vulnerable, and signal to us a necessity for an authentic change of heart.  These are the tears of repentance.  These are the tears that lead to salvation.  

Why we cry may be somewhat of a mystery, but the cathartic blessing they bring is not.  Jesus taught his followers in the Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are those who mourn."  Entrust your tears to God, and He will make it rain with grace and mercy.  Here is where our tears of shame and hurt are turned to tears of joy and release.  God's forgiveness knows no boundaries; His joy no restraint. When we weep the tears of genuine hurt or repentance, we are crying the tears of new life.  This is a good, indeed a very good, thing!

The pupil dilates in darkness and in the end finds light, 

just as the soul dilates in misfortune and in the end finds God.

-Victor Hugo, Les Miserables.

 Heavenly Father, on this Ash Wednesday, may I return to you with all my heart.  Amen

Romans 8:26

When I was a very young boy I would have this recurring nightmare.  I would see my parents with me.  The setting would begin as somewhere common to me at my home.  Then everything around my parents would dim to black darkness, and a feeling of emptiness would overcome me.  Next, the image of my parents would fade, as if becoming increasingly more difficult for me to be with them.  My nightmare would climax with me alone in the emptiness, wanting to scream, cry out for my parents not to leave, but I was unable to do so.  I would wake up terrified.  With my heart pounding, I would run to my parents' bedroom and wake them up.  Naturally, they would ask me what is wrong, but all I could say was I had a bad dream.  At that age, I wanted desperately for them to understand.  But, not only was I without the vocabulary, I wasn't even sure I knew what I just experienced in my dreams.

I know now that my dream represented death, or more precisely my primal fear of being left alone, helplessly deprived of the ones I love.  I have come to understand that dreams like mine are actually quite common in children.

Today's Bible verse touches upon that same primal fear.  For this reason it is part of a larger reading that is often used in funerals.  Our modern interpretation misses the mark a bit here.  The problem that Paul is describing is not that we know what we need to pray for and simply can't find the correct words to ask for it.  The problem is that we do not even know what to want, let alone how to ask for it.  The problem is the kind of helplessness like that of a child's nightmare.

There are times when we are helpless.  This Bible reading is not only for funerals.  As a matter of fact, Lent is a time for us to acknowledge our helplessness before the God whose promise it is to restore our strength.  however, God doesn't restore our strength with a new plan for us to overcome our weakness.  When we are helpless, he will send the Holy Spirit to intercede for us.  In other words, God doesn't merely strengthen us...He is our strength.  On the cross, God embodies our primal fears.  He doesn't call to us from the other side of our fears, encouraging us from afar to "buck up and get over it".  God enters our fears, dwells within it with us, and moves us beyond it.

There are times when we can do likewise for others.  Sometimes the best way to comfort someone grieving is not to try and fix it with our words or actions, but just to sit with them in it, to be present with them in their helplessness.  Such quiet empathy can convey God's strength better than anything else.  When we don't even know what to want, let alone the words to ask for it, we need the Holy Spirit to intercede with groanings too deep for words.  It is sometimes this very divine presence that we are privileged to witness when we are willing to be with a loved one in their grief.

Heavenly Father, when we are helpless, when we do not even know what to want, send your Holy Spirit to intercede for us.  Amen.

2 Corinthians 7.10

So...there is godly grief, which leads to salvation.
And...there is worldly grief, which produces death.

Such a stark reading for today.

What is Paul talking about?

Dr. Bernard Nathanson was the leading abortion doctor in the United States in the 1970’s. He had campaigned vigorously for the legalization of abortion and he himself had performed 60,000 abortions. He even believed his intentions were good and that he was doing a righteous thing by providing a service that guaranteed a woman’s right to control her body.   But something changed Dr. Nathanson’s point of view. It was a medical breakthrough called the ultrasound, introduced in 1976. This device literally opened a window on fetal development. The first time Nathanson saw an ultrasound in action, he was amazed. He could see a tiny throbbing heart inside the womb.  Nathanson's own heart became convicted.  He said that, from that point on, he could no longer use the more clinical word "fetus" over that of "baby".   Suddenly, everything he had been learning about the child in the womb since his entry into medicine snapped into focus. He had known what took place in the womb but somehow seeing it for the first time brought about a dramatic 180 degree change for him.  Bernard Nathanson, the leading abortion doctor in America, became convinced that human life existed within the womb from the onset of pregnancy. In an article he wrote for the New England Journal of Medicine he wrote, in abortion “we are taking life.”

I think St. Paul would say Nathanson suffered through godly grief upon seeing the beating heart of a child in the womb. His godly grief led to his own salvation.  Nathanson became a Christian and was baptized at the age of 70.  

Godly grief breaks our hearts with an awareness of the pain and suffering our choices have made.  Godly grief brings about a change for the better in us from the inside that is reflected in our actions on the outside.  

Worldy grief is very different.  Worldly grief is grief we suffer for the sake of maintaining our own selfish ways.  Worldy grief is like buying a radar detector instead of slowing down.  It is superficial, and bears no real change in us, our actions, or our view of the world around us.  It is no wonder St. Paul says worldly grief produces death.

As the Church prepares for the season of Lent, it is helpful to understand the distinction between these two griefs.  As Paul puts it, godly grief leads to repentance, which produces salvation.  Repentance is not merely apologizing for what we've done.  Repentance, literally, means "to turn around".  To repent is to turn around and return to God.  The best Biblical example of this is the parable of the Prodigal Son.  The son goes off and squanders everything his father gave him in sinful living.  Then, upon realizing his sin, he repents (literally turns his life around) and returns to his father, who receives him with an unexpected show of unconditional love and grace.  Lent is a time for we Christians to ponder our own sinfulness, repent and return to our Father.  According to Paul, true repentance begins with godly grief...so we might say that is where true Lent begins as well.

Every Lent, people consider giving up things as a sign of their repentance.  People vow to give up sweets, others give up caffeine, some sacrifice various conveniences.  A new one I've heard this year is the giving up of social media.  All of these could very well be considered vices and possibly even addictions.  But, if at the end of Lent those who gave up these things go back to them because Lent is over, then it was never an act of true repentance in the first place.  If we take Paul seriously, then we shouldn't concern ourselves with changing this or that about the way we live just for Lent.  Instead, we should be considering changes that we intend to keep permanently.   Giving up something just for Lent is the same as worldly grief.  Seeing the need to change something about yourself permanently is the result of godly grief, and that is the way to salvation.

In other words, Lent means nothing if it is not a time for Christians to be intentional about their Christianity.  Nobody cares if you are giving up sweets for Lent.  But, there are poor folks who desperately care if you begin a routine of giving up food to your local food bank.  Nobody cares if you give up social media for Lent.  But, your children care if you put down the smartphone and commit to spending actual quality time with them.  Whatever it is you're considering to give up for Lent, ask yourself, who cares that you're doing this?  If there are people who actually care that you give something up, then ask yourself why you would only do this for 6 weeks?

This Lent, take Paul's lesson on the difference between worldly grief and godly grief seriously.  Be an intentional Christian, not a temporary one.

Gracious God, merciful Lord, as we come near to the season of Lent, let us come near to your cross.  There, you bear the sins of all of us as you take our place in a most ungodly death. May your cross and suffering break open our hard hearts to see the world and our neighbor through your loving eyes.  Amen  

2 Peter 1:4

Twitter was buzzing this week about a bus driver who was shot twice in the chest, but survived because the Bible he kept in his pocket stopped the bullets.   To read the article click here.  My first, almost instinctual, reaction was to pump my fist and Tweet the reply, "YOUR MOVE ATHEISTS!"  But then, as if minions were summoned from somewhere deep within my brain to stop me, my awareness of bad theology jumped to the foreground of my thoughts and I resisted that first impulse to Tweet something stupid.

Then, I read this morning's Bible verse and remembered how I used to carry around a pocket Bible myself.  Although, it wasn't actually a Bible, it was called a Bible Promise Book.   It was leather bound, and just the right size to slide into your pocket.  In it was page after page of Biblical quotes of God promising things to His people.   A Christian friend who had promised to pray for me through a tough time gave it to me as gift, and I decided to keep it with me, in my pocket.  I would open it and read a verse or two several times each day.  In time, this little pocket Bible of mine became a close friend and companion.  When I was down, a verse would lift me up.  When I needed a little encouragement, a verse or two would nudge me forward.  I would pray just by reading a verse and then repeating it silently.  I still have this book.  It's a precious keepsake of mine.  It helped me get through a really tough time.

Ok, so my little Bible Promises book didn't save me from bullets to the chest.  But, I can tell you that those promises from God did save my life, my soul, in ways that are too deep to describe.  That period of time for me was a crucible moment in my life.   God's promises saved me and brought me to a positive place  from which I was now confident enough in my faith to take seriously the call to ordained ministry.  As I sit here in my church office, and consider who I am today, I am thankful for those promises.

In today's Bible verse Peter says that God's promises were made so that we would be encouraged and strengthened to follow Christ.  (I'm paraphrasing slightly for simplicity sake.) To use an analogy, these promises are like a deep keel on a boat.  They keep us upright, centered on God, no matter how strong the storm may blow.

Whatever life may throw at you, from bullets to storms, God keeps his promises.  God will carry you through.  God will love you unconditionally.  God will help defeat enemies and overcome obstacles.   God is always with you.  God's promises are the rock beneath your feet some days, and wind within your sails on others.  Trust them.  Rely on them.  They will save your life.

Heavenly Father, your promises are my strength and my hope.  Thank you!

Isaiah 53.6

A popular TV evangelist tells of a time when he took a group of his followers on a guided tour of the Holy Lands.  He was their guide and teacher for this inspiring trip.  While there he wanted them to be on the look out for sheep being led by a shepherd.  Over and over he instructed them that a shepherd never drives the sheep from behind, like cattle.  The shepherd always walks in front, leading his sheep.  

As the tour bus came around a curve they looked out the window and saw a herd of sheep being driven by a man in the back of the herd.  The group saw this and questioned the pastor about his teaching.  The pastor was clearly flustered and a bit confused.  Not to be undone, he asked the bus driver to stop the bus.  He got off the bus, went over and had an extended conversation with the man driving the sheep, instead of leading them.

He returned to the bus with a triumphant smile on his face as he announced to the tourists, “He’s not the shepherd. He’s the butcher!”

Are you being led by the Shepherd, or driven by the butcher?

The butcher will push, prod, drive you away from the way God would have you go.  The butcher will take your life away, leaving you exhausted, empty and hollow inside.  

The Shepherd will lead you with love and gentleness in the way for which God created you.  The Shepherd's way will lead you to fullness of life, grace and mercy. 

Jesus is our Good Shepherd. 

And, not only does he lead us in a good way, but he also comes back to retrieve us from the butcher.

Jesus, Good Shepherd, lead me away from the butcher and along the way to life with you.  Amen. 

Psalm 37:5-6

I'm a good person...well, that's my opinion.

Do you ever feel like the world owes you something for being a good person?  It's an insidious temptation. When we feel this way, our pride kicks in and then we become vulnerable to even more destructive choices...often we don't even see the problems we're causing until it's too late.  

Righteousness is allusive.  It's not enough just to be a good person.  Is it?   Even when we think we are right and good, there is always something missing.

Here's the real test.  Ask yourself, "Would you follow you?"

Any honest assessment of ourselves should yield a big, fat, humbling "NO" to that question.

So, what do you do?

Nothing!  That's what...

Well, I guess that's not exactly true, because to do nothing is still to do something.
And, this particular something can be the most difficult thing for some of us to do.
The Bible verse for today declares that something for us.  "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him."   It is God who brings forth our righteousness.  Not us.  We are incapable of righteousness (a.k.a. perfection).  But, God fulfills all righteousness.  In the gospel according to Matthew, when Jesus is baptized he explains to John why he must be Baptized by him.  Jesus says, "to fulfill all righteousness".  It is Jesus' mission and call to fulfill all righteousness, and that is what he does. And he does it for us!  Because we can't.

None of us is perfect.  We need someone to follow.
Jesus invites us to follow him, and he will fulfill all righteousness for us.

So, who are you following?  At the feet of whom or what do you spend your time each day?
Maybe you're glued to the 24/7 news channels, where you receive a daily education in all that's wrong with the world.  Maybe you're surrounded by negative people who complain all day, and you've taken to participating just to fit in.  Maybe, you spend much of your free time with the mindless entertainment of social media and online games.  These are popular examples of ways in which we commit our lives to negative, purposeless things that drain us of the zest for life and leave us despondent in the end.

What if, just one hour of your usual free time activity each day was set aside for genuine development of yourself, possibly a Scripture-based devotion, or an exercise routine, or something...anything?  Don't you think you could stop following the direction of FOX or CNN for one hour to let God inspire your direction?  Don't you think you could ignore those negative friends, to hear the positive inspiration of the Holy Spirit in prayer?  Don't you think it would be much more edifying to you and your life if one hour of FB, or Candy Crush was given up to seeking a little instruction in life from a godly-inspired motivational book, or podcast?

The Psalm exhorts us to commit our way to the Lord and trust in Him.
I suppose, since you're reading this, you're already doing that.   Carry on...  :-)

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your grace.  Help me to follow you, and keep me encouraged to seek out your inspiring, positive guidance in Scripture, prayer, and the helpful words of others.  In Jesus' name.  Amen

Lamentations 3:22-23

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with thee;
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed thy hand hath provided;
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

I have always been able to count on my parents for help.  It never really mattered what kind of trouble I might get myself into they were always available, accessible, and willing to help.  Sometimes the bigger problem was bringing myself to the point of swallowing my pride to ask them for help.  Once, I think I was about 19 years old, my car broke down on my way to college.  I was hours from home, and in the middle of nowhere with nothing but the West Virginia mountains all around.  I was scared, unsure of myself or what to do.  So, I did what came naturally, what I would always do when I was in trouble.  I walked a few miles to the next exit off the highway (wow, cell phones have changed the world since then.), found a pay phone and called home.  I'll never forget how comforting it felt to hear my dad say, "Son, your mom and I are on our way."  

The lyrics of the beloved hymn Great Is Thy Faithfulness were written by Thomas Chisholm in 1923. 

For a brief time Chisholm served as a Methodist minister, but was forced to retire early due to ill health.  When he penned these inspiring words he was in trouble.  He was very ill. Echoing Lamentations 3:22-23 he wrote the lyrics that have ever since reminded us, each time we sing it, that we have a Heavenly Father in whom we can always count on for help.  God is always accessible, and our Heavenly Father comforts us with His promise to be there with us each time we pray.  

Heavenly Father, your faithfulness never fails me.  Help me to be faithful to my family, with your faithfulness as my guide.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

 Click the link below to read more about the history of this hymn.

History of Hymns | GBOD | Equipping World-Changing Disciples

Acts 1:24

In my observation of the human condition we are masters at making excuses for ourselves.  Instead of taking responsibility for our own lives, we come up with all sorts of reasons why we are unable to do so.   From "the dog ate my homework" to "the traffic", "the weather", "bad luck", "the other person" the list goes on and on.  Instead of taking responsibility, we make excuses.  The sad truth is that often we even convince ourselves that these little lies are true.  We actually believe that there are all of these factors working against us, holding us back, prohibiting us from achieving success in life.  Instead of taking responsibility for our own lives, our own choices, we act like victims of forces out of our control.   Here are a few common excuses:

"I don't have time."
We all have the same amount of time each day, week, year.  The difference between those who take responsibility and those who don't is a matter of prioritizing and scheduling.

"I don't have money."
If you were to actually record every penny spent every day for one month, you would begin to recognize how much money gets wasted on things that are of little consequence.  Even just that $4 coffee here and there can add up to $20-$30/month.  In just one month, I am willing to guarantee, you would be able to look at your money differently if you would take full responsibility for where it goes.  A savings of just $20-$30 every month can be the difference between feeling trapped by your own excuse and realizing the freedom of being responsible.

"I have bad luck"
Let me break the news to you--there is no such thing as bad luck.  Personally, I don't believe in luck.  But, if you do, then there is only one kind of luck--good luck, and we all have it.  If you live in the U.S. you are lucky.  If you have a warm place to live, plenty of food, clothing then you are lucky.  If you have family or friends to rely on for support then you are lucky.  If you are reading this message on a computer hooked into the internet, you are lucky.  Count your blessings.  If you are truly going to put your faith in a completely random force within the universe then take an honest assessment, you are very lucky.  The difference between those who take responsibility and those who don't is that those who do make better choices with the "luck" they've received.

Those are common excuses, and the list goes on and on.

But, here's the truth we all need to hear: God isn't buying it!
God doesn't believe your excuses.  God knows the hearts of all of us.
And, has called you through the waters of your Baptism, and given you gifts of the Holy Spirit, to take responsibility for your life.  He has given you his Son, Jesus, as the model for the godly life.  "Follow him!", is the command that echos from the gospels.  God has given you life, and a multitude of blessings.  He knows what is in your heart.  He knows that right alongside the excuses you make, is also the desire to succeed.  So, every day, every moment, God's forgiveness offers you the freedom to begin again.  God's promise is life in its fullest, the abundance of life!  God has already chosen you, now it's your turn to make the choices you need to take back responsibility of the life that God has given you.

The difference between excuses and responsibility is the difference between success and failure, bondage and freedom, heaven and hell.  By making even one small choice to do just one little thing differently every day you could make a dramatic improvement in your life.  Taking more responsibility in areas where you used to make excuses is life-changing---even if you just start small.

Is today the day you begin again?  Is today the day you get honest with yourself and realize the excuses that are holding you back?
I hope so.

Heavenly Father, you know what's in my heart.  You know the excuses I make.  Forgive me.  Help me to take full responsibility for the life you have given me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Sermon from Christmas 2: Thank You Laney Brown

Read John 1:1-18

A little girl touched our lives this Christmas.   The last eight days of her brief life moved us away from our materialistic Christmas selfishness and turned our attention to someone in need.  She made us feel something all to often foreign to our expression of Christmas gifts-giving---compassion, empathy, genuine love!

Her name was Delaney Brown, nicknamed Laney.  She lived in Wyomissing with her family.  Most of us never met the 8-year-old girl, but in her last 8 days of life, we came to know enough about her to fall in love, and our hearts broke for her.

My wife, among many others across the nation followed the posts by her mother, Jennifer, on the Team Laney Facebook page. Her family and friends had been there for her since she was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in May. The attention and following spread rapidly after her mother posted the devastating news on Dec. 17 that there was nothing more the doctors at the Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital could do for Laney and that the family was taking her home.

Jennifer's written words were a heart-wrenching mixture of pain and love, a beautiful tribute to her precious child:

"Today we were told the worst news of our lives. Laney has 70% cancer cells in her blood. If they would treat the cancer the virus that she has would kill her. And if they treat the virus the cancer will kill her.  They gave her a couple days to a couple weeks to live.  My heart is breaking. I sit here looking at her face trying to remember every contour of it, I breathe deeply against her skin trying to always remember her smell. Every time she speaks I try to listen for the different way she says certain words so that I never forget. I keep putting my lips against her warm skin because I never want to forget how that feels. I'm devastated and I'm hoping that I will wake up from this nightmare.  We told Laney and she said she wanted to be the one to tell Kylee and Jacob. She told Jacob that when she's gone he is to be a good big brother to Kylee. And she thanked Kylee for being a great sister and her best friend. They all cried in each other's arms. I have never felt this type of pain in my life.  We will be taking her home on hospice tomorrow and will be trying to let her have as much fun as she can handle. We will watch her blow out her eighth birthday candles knowing that she won't have a ninth. We will also ask Santa to come early this year because Laney has been such a good girl. Please pray for Laney and our family. Please pray for a miracle. We will be spending every second with her till God decides he needs another beautiful angel up in heaven."

What do you do when the darkness comes?  I'm not talking about the small stuff, like the troublesome relationship that needs healing, or the mistake you made last week.  I'm talking about the real heavy stuff...the darkness of your own child dying...on Christmas Day!   What words can lighten this darkness?  What can you do to let the light back in to such a dark time?

This family focused on filling Laney's remaining days

with special moments. They turned their attention to Laney's bucket list. She wanted carolers at her home. She wanted to meet Taylor Swift, who is also a Wyomissing local.  Taylor contacted Laney by video conference on Dec. 20, Laney's eighth birthday.   The next day, about 10,000 carolers gathered outside her home in West Reading.  

Laney died at 3:10am on Christmas morning.

After the Christmas morning gifts were opened, and my 7 year old bounced off the walls with joy at the sight of what Santa brought, my wife read the sad news posted on Facebook by her mother.  She and I said a prayer, and we thanked God for the blessings we have.   Then, I asked myself, "Does the Christmas story have enough light to shine through the darkness this family on the other side of town was experiencing at that moment?"  I desperately wanted to say that it did.  But, to be honest, I came to the confession that it didn't.  The Christmas story alone simply does not have the light that can cut through darkness such as this.  I looked at my son, having so much fun on Christmas morning a little differently.  I knew as I looked at him, that if a disease or some catastrophe had taken him from me that morning, the message of baby Jesus born in a manger simply does not have the power to brighten that darkness.

But, the Easter story...IT DOES!  

It is Jesus' death on the cross that connects us to a Father who knows what its like to lose a child to undeserved suffering.  It's the empty tomb that promises us that God refuses to let the darkness of death have the last word.  Christmas may warm our souls with hope, but when the darkness comes we need Easter!

This family in Wyomissing needed Easter on Christmas morning---Christmas alone is simply not enough!

Each year we elevate the holiday of Christmas so high that, I think, we assume the Biblical story behind it must have the same elevated power and authority to save us as well.  But, it doesn't.  It was never meant to.  Easter is our primary story. It's Easter that has the power to shine a light that the darkness can not overcome.   

In the end, Laney and her mother, did more to bear witness to the gospel than many of us do in our entire lifetime.  Like John, in today's gospel message, who was not the light but came to testify to the light.  Laney's story testified to the light, and showed us how we can too.  

For a brief moment---during our celebrations of Christmas---she and her mother made us stop and think about how fortunate each of us is. How truly blessed we all are.  How each person matters to God and how truly precious each moment of life is.  She made me remember what Christmas is truly about: God fulfilling a promise to us to send the light of life into the world--a light that no darkness can overcome.  Christmas is just the beginning....and Easter is the rest of the story.

For these things I am grateful to her this Christmas.

What does this message mean to us at the beginning of this new year?

Will we fall into our usual ways of taking life for granted and relying on selfish materialism to fill our empty souls?  Or, will we begin to live into the promises given at our Baptisms, and treat this gift of life as precious and every person as someone who matters to God?

That decision is what is left for us to determine.

But, just as the Christmas message was foretold by Isaiah where he wrote, "And a little child will lead them..."  so it is with us in a very real sense of it this year.   Out of our materialism, out of our selfishness, a little child has led us to the gospel where we are compelled with compassion and empathy for someone we never met.  

May this message help to inspire us to make better choices with our lives in 2014.

Amen.

A Mary Christmas

Ask any parent about the birth of their child and they will typically light up with joy to tell you the story. I have heard many of these stories. Some are told with the drama of close calls, and heroic efforts. Others are told with a preface, "Things were different back then..." Still others are told with a flare of serendipity. While all of these stories are uniquely special, they all have a couple of things in common as well. First, they are all thought of with a sense of miraculous wonder. Second, they are all remembered and retold with vivid detail. And third, the mother's emotions are always a roller coaster of highs and lows, fear faith—always ending in Joy!

There's one particular mother whose birth story I would love to hear her tell...Mary, the mother of our Lord, Jesus.

We can only imagine her story... But, imagination is a big part of the Christmas experience. The Christmas story is quite essentially a birth story.

From Luke's gospel we can use a little imagination and Mary’s story emerges.

First of all, just like any other birth story--Luke retells the birth of Jesus with a sense of miraculous wonder. An angel visits Mary to announce to her that she will conceive and bear a son, and he will be the Son of God, the long awaited Messiah.

Second, and also just like other birth stories, the birth of Jesus is told with vivid detail. We hear about the politics of the day, the details of the journey to Bethlehem, the crowded scene when they got there, the difficulty that Mary and Joseph had finding a place to stay, and how one innkeeper offered them his stable. Mary delivers the baby, and we are told even more details. The baby is wrapped in swaddling cloths, and they laid him in a manger. With great detail Luke tells of the birth of Jesus, just like any other birth story, and we can imagine Mary sitting with us over a cup of coffee while she tells it to us exactly the same way, with every detail.

The only thing missing from Scripture's telling of the story is the third thing that all birth stories have in common--the roller coaster of emotions---the highs and lows—the fear and faith. This is left wholly to our imagination. But, you know...Sometimes the best things we have to say are said best when we say nothing at all. Mary's emotions, how she was experiencing that night of Jesus' birth, may have been said best by the Scriptures saying nothing at all. This gives us the opportunity to put ourselves in her shoes, and relive it with her. And, it also gives Mary the opportunity to identify with all of us---not just mothers, but fathers as well.

So, let us stretch the Scripture just enough to read between the lines and imagine for a moment what Mary might have been going through that night. She was a young girl, full-term pregnant, in a foreign town surrounded by strangers--all except Joseph and the donkey that carried her. She was about to give birth in a stable, where the stench in the air, the mess all around. Let's imagine for a moment...what Mary, the girl who was about to bear the Son of God into the world was feeling?

I imagine it something like this...

[Megan Pyle sings Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song) by Amy Grant]

This song gets us into the story of Mary in a way that is very real for all of us. A girl whose life hangs in the balance between God’s plan for all of us and her own plan for herself. Mary's story is an inspiration for all of us. In the stillness of that very first Silent Night, it is no stretch of the imagination to think of Mary teetering in that place between fear and faith—that place we all know very well. And in that moment, she was faithful.

You might say the first Christmas miracle wasn't the child born to Mary, but that Mary was willing and remained faithful to God.

And so it is with us.

When our lives hang in that balance between God's plan for us and our plan for ourselves, we can remember Mary and her inspiring story.

Mary's Christmas miracle is for us as well.

We can remain faithful.
We can trust in God, because of the Breath of Heaven

Prayer
Breath of heaven, hold us together. Be forever with us. Amen!

Advent Two: Homeless Jesus

Isaiah 11:1-10:
A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.  His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.  Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.   On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

Some would say the great mysteries of our faith are things such as the virgin Mary's conception, and the resurrection of Jesus.  But, Isaiah describes, what I think, is an even greater mystery--the paradox of Christ's everyday advent.  

Isaiah describes the coming of the Messiah as an event which results in peace between opposites; the powerful and the vulnerable.   Isaiah's descriptions are poetic and his message poignant: The Messiah will come in the mystery of a paradox of faith.  

Take a look at the sculpture to the right.  The artist's name is Timothy Schmalz.  The first thing you see is a figure of a homeless person under a blanket on a park bench.  Your first reaction is, possibly, to be moved with pity or sadness.  But then you notice the feet sticking out from under the blanket--there are holes in his feet!  Immediately, your mind shifts "this is a strange homeless man" to "Hey, it's Jesus"  This shift of paradigms moves us from feelings of pity to compassion.  Pity may have dropped a dollar into a Salvation Army bucket, but compassion makes us want to go to the man and personally help.  The holes in the feet show us something we didn't know when all we saw was a stranger.  The holes show us someone we know, someone we love.  

The Canadian artist came up with the idea for his unusual sculpture after spotting a homeless person sleeping on the corner of one of Toronto’s busiest streets. It was Christmastime and while the rest of the city was bustling around with the holiday spirit, this person was wrapped up in a sleeping bag. Schmalz didn’t know if it was a man or a woman — all he could see was a mass of cloth lying still on the floor.  “My initial reaction was, ‘That is Jesus,’” the 43-year-old told the New York Daily News.  Read More

Timothy Schmalz's sculpture is titled "Homeless Jesus" and it helps us get inside the paradox of Isaiah's prophesy.  Just as Isaiah described the coming of the Messiah as a kind of truth within opposites, so too is this sculpture where we see the Messiah, King of kings, Son of God is a lonely, vulnerable homeless man.  In other words, the powerful wolfe (iconically portrayed as a lion) is lying down with the lamb, the vulnerable. 

The gospels tell us that Jesus came and accomplished this prophecy.  

During his life and ministry, he identified with the poor.  He lived as a homeless man, among homeless people.  "The Son of Man has no place to lay his head."  He came for the homeless, sick, vulnerable, lonely, lost and sinful.  He "laid down with them" when he ate with them, fed them, defended them from harm, forgave them, and healed them.  In the end of his ministry he commanded his disciples, "What you do for the least of these, you do for me."  

Mother Theresa of Calcutta was once asked, "What is your inspiration for caring so much for these homeless people?"  Her reply, "I see Jesus in them."

When we see a homeless man, a lonely woman, a starving child, etc and instead of seeing only a stranger we begin to see Jesus in them--Then, in that moment, we have entered the paradox of Christ's coming and Isaiah's prophecy is true.

When we see that friend or family member that we can't get along with, that we can't bring ourselves to forgive, and instead of seeing only the hurt and the pain, we begin to see Jesus on the cross---then, in that moment, Isaiah's prophecy is true.  

When we look ourselves in the mirror, and instead of seeing only the shame and the regret of our past, we begin to see Jesus--then, in that moment, the prophecy is true.

Prayer:

Come Lord Jesus, and open the eyes of heart to see you.  Amen

Advent One: Orans

Isaiah 64:1-4
1.  O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence—2 as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! 3 When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 4 From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him.

Recently, I went Googling for an image of people in worship.  I found hundreds, possibly thousands---I didn't look through all the pages.  All of them, it appeared to me, were people standing with arms raised high, faces looking upward.  Why?  Nobody worships this way in my church...should we?

This posture is called Orans, (latin for "praying") and it's actually nothing new.  The origin of Orans stems from the posture of the early church leaders or priests, in which the priest intercedes during the liturgy on behalf of all.  His arms outstretched, eyes raised upward, simply a humble posture for one who is pleading for help--reaching out to God saying, essentially, "We beg you, help us."  When you think about it this is actually a very natural human gesture for anyone who is humbly pleading for help.  

But, the people in the pictures I Googled do not look very humble, and they don't seem to be pleading for help.  To me, their posture seems more like that of someone cheering at a concert.  Curious---I Googled "crowd at concert" and the images were exactly the same.

What does it say about us Christians that the popular images of our reaction to the presence of God in worship is the same as that of the presence of a rock star on a stage?  

Personally, I prefer the posture of this text from Isaiah.  These are not the words of one who is cheering a rock star god.  These are words of a humble servant, pleading with God for help.  I imagine Isaiah's arms outstretched, eyes tilted upward, begging God, "O that you would tear open the heavens and come down..."   These are humble words, yet they are mighty in faith.  They are not self-pitying, or grandiose.  They are hopeful--expectant of God to come down and save.  When I am facing the darkness in my life, I want these to be my words; my faith to be this strong; my hope to be this expectant.  Don't you?

I don't need a rock star god that I can cheer on as he does his work from "up there" in heaven.  I need a God who is willing to tear open the heavens to come down here and help.  Don't you?

The promise of Advent is that God comes down!

With a baby born in a stable, God tore open the heavens and came down for us!  He answered the pleading prayers of Isaiah, and came down.  With this event, we might remain strong in our faith, trusting in God's promise to come down for us again and again.  

So, then, how shall we respond in worship?

In the end, it doesn't really matter what we do with our hands, eyes or the rest of our posture.  What matters, I suppose, is what we're doing with our hearts.

  

Prayer...
O God, that you would tear open the heavens and come down...for me...for all of us!  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

MANNA: Narthex

Has anyone ever said to you, “Meet me in the narthex?”  Did you know what they meant?   Did you do a double-take to be sure you weren’t invited to join them in Narnia?

There are a lot of strange words in church-speak.  Narthex is one of them. The word narthex is an ancient word from the church’s history.  It refers to the entry way of the church.  In ancient church architecture the narthex was often a very elaborate and open place that welcomed people into the church, but was separate and distinct from the place of worship.   By the way, the worship space also had a special name.  It was called the nave.  There’s a whole story behind that too, but I’ll leave that for another time.  Today, we might think of the narthex simply as the church lobby.  But, the early church actually had a function for the narthex that was much more significant than just a place to hang your coat, share a cup of coffee with a friend or pick up a church program.

There once was a time in Christianity when only those who were baptized were permitted to enter the nave.  So, if you were unbaptized you would actually worship in the narthex.  You might imagine someone watching through a doorway, listening intently to the words of the service and the singing.  This may strike our contemporary sensibilities a bit rude, but the virtues of hospitality and inclusiveness were practiced by the simple gesture of opening the nave doors to the unbaptized. 

This also meant that it was appropriate for baptismal fonts to be constructed in the narthexes of early churches or cathedrals.  As a matter of fact, when there was a baptismal service the congregation would gather in the narthex, instead of the nave, at the beginning of the worship service.  The candidate would be baptized and then escorted into the nave for the first time as a celebratory event to begin the worship service. 

If you look closely there are remnants of these customs still remaining with us today.  For instance, we still begin our worship service with either the confession or Baptism.  Both happen to be spiritual practices of Baptism.  And, in many churches the baptismal font is at the entrance of the worship space.  But, for the most part, the narthex today has really become nothing more than the church lobby. 

The architecture of our church is unique because we don’t actually have a narthex.  There is a place that we might refer to as the foyer or lobby, that carpeted place immediately inside the entrance where the bulletin boards hang and coffee is shared, but that’s it.  There is really no distinct wall or separation between the lobby area and the worship area in our church.  This is unique, and it can be a blessing as well as a curse. 

The curse is that it can make reverence very difficult.  A certain amount of reverence is important for worship, because it refers to a kind of posture or honor and awe before the presence of God in worship.  In worship God meets us in the Word and the sacrament.  This space and time is holy, and reverence is an appropriate response.  Without a narthex we often have a difficult time making the spiritual movement from what I would call “narthex time” to “nave time”.  It can also foster a false sense of appropriateness for us to treat worship time as if it is narthex time.  Narthex time is that time and space where it is appropriate for us to talk and socialize with our neighbors in church.  When we confuse narthex time with worship time, we do so at the loss of reverence and, potentially, the loss of meaningful worship. 

The blessing of not having a narthex is that it makes our worship space immediately accessible, lively and friendly to all who enter our church.  For many people this is understood and even felt as a deep and authentic welcome.  Spiritually speaking we might say that God is experienced to be more inclusive and accessible in our church.  This seems fitting for a church in which the motto is to be a church for people who have no church. 

Whatever your opinion about these blessings and curses, it behooves us as a congregation to try to provide narthex space as a place that is distinct and separate from that of worship space.  Without an actual physical wall to separate these, we need to remember that there has always been a necessity for worship to be set apart as sacred time and space.  When the bell rings signaling the start of worship we might gently nudge ourselves to put down the coffee, take our seats among the congregation and quietly prepare ourselves for an encounter with God.  

I heard a fitting quote recently;
Before worship take time to speak to God. 
During worship listen for God to speak to you.
After worship speak to your neighbor.

MANNA: Hope

I will always have hope.

Psalm 71:14

The hindsight of our faith is always like 20/20 vision.  Recalling God's protection and guidance in all the times and places of our past makes God's grace self-evident.  

But, these stories of our past are not only reminders of God's presence in our past.  They are also an inspiration of hope for the challenges of today and tomorrow.  Just as God was with us through this or that of our past, we can trust that God will be with us today and tomorrow.  

With faith in God, we can face each day with a living hope that God will never leave us but will strengthen us and be with us in every time of trial.  

The Psalmist sings of this present and future hope with a passion to share it with others.  May you have such a passion as well. 

Loving God, I am overwhelmed at all that You have done, and promise to do this day.  May I be a witness of your goodness to everyone around me.  In Jesus' name, Amen!

Manna: Sanctuary

Sanctuary

Read Psalm 46

Boston Strong!

That’s the city’s rallying cry after two men thought it necessary to detonate bombs near the finish line of the famed Boston Marathon.  Danielle purchased the recent copy of People magazine featuring interviews of victims who were there, and unfortunately were too close to the terror when the bombs went off.  The cover of the magazine shows three young people with their newly fitted prosthetics, each of them wearing t-shirts reading “Boston Strong”. 

While we rally with Boston in the wake of this, the most recent, terrorist act, we cannot escape the awareness of that pit in our stomachs that beckons out of the depths of our fears with sighs of, “Not again, Lord, not again.”

My son, a kindergartner, was taught this year how and where to seek refuge should someone enter his classroom with a gun.  My heart breaks for the parents of kids in Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, and the far too many similar places that echo into a cacophony that leaves us numb.

Are there no safe places anymore? 

The police and emergency workers have now adopted a motto for us, “If you see something, say something.”  The very vagueness of this only elevates my insecurities.  Is there no place we can go to be free from the troublesome burden of keeping a suspicious eye out for “something”?  Is there no relief from the fatigue of fear?

God’s Word is our only true safe place.  When all else fails us, God remains with us…constant and steadfast, hearing our cries, comforting us with inner peace; giving us an unyielding hope that looks outward with expectation of grace yet to come.

I grew up in a church that had it's worship space set apart from the fellowship space.  Living God Lutheran does not have that luxury…yet.  In this church of my youth, as in many churches, the worship space was called the “sanctuary”.   

Sanctuary is a word that means “safe place” or “hiding place from our enemy”.  What a perfect name for our place of worship.  There we hear the good news that in God’s Word we find a safe place or a place to hide from our enemy.  There we meet others with stories like ours who have found a safe place in God’s Word, and the community that forms around this promise becomes yet another source of sanctuary in and of itself.  

In this world where it seems there are no safe places, God remains our refuge and strength.  God’s Word is our sanctuary. 

Prayer:  Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary; pure and holy, tried and true.  With thanksgiving I'll be a living sanctuary for You.  Amen

MANNA: Out of Babes

Psalm 8
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger. (v.2)

Kids say the darnedest things.  It's true.  We all know it.  Ask a group of preschoolers what they want to become when they grow up and you're likely to get answers from "I want to be a firetruck", to "I want to become my brother".  

A couple of years ago I asked the children gathered for my children's sermon to tell me if they thought God was mean or nice.  Expecting this to be a simple question...My own son (age 3 at the time) shouted out, "Daddy, who is God?"  To this day I still have members of my church who like to tease me with that one.  But, the truth and honesty in his question delivered an unintended message of the necessity for Christian Education much better than anything I could have prepared on the same subject.      

The use of the word "babes" here in this Psalm refers to those who are immature, vulnerable, and dependent.   It isn't likely that it refers to actual babes and infants.  This is the paradox of our faith. God brings forth a kind of innocent truth from anyone who is humble and honest in faith.

I remember a seminary professor telling us that it's not the A students who become the best pastors. It's the B- students who do. At the time that didn't make much sense. Surely he wasn't encouraging us to mediocrity. But now, after a dozen years of ordained ministry I understand quite clearly what he was saying. It's not the polished, well educated, finely tuned sermon that delivers the gospel message. It's the humble honesty of faith from the simple man behind the words.

St. Francis is credited with the saying, "At all times preach the gospel, and when necessary use words."  The message here is that any faithful person through service, compassion, gentleness etc. is communicating the gospel message by their actions.  For St. Francis, every act of kindness is a sermon.  

This means all of us, even we pastors, are able to share the gospel of Jesus with others.  As a matter of fact, already today, your actions have probably delivered a message or two of good news.   For the rest of the day, consider being more deliberate and intentional about it. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, you have given me faith.  Thank you!  Allow me the privilege of experiencing for myself the truth in your Psalmists' words today.  Amen

MANNA: Thy Kingdom Come!

Revelation 21:1-6 (click to read)

I am often asked the question, "Pastor, how do I get to heaven?"  Actually, the question most often comes to me from a slightly different direction, "Pastor, is this person or that going to hell?"  This question of how to get to heaven is one that, I think, has been the source of far too much destruction by Christians over the centuries.   Think...Crusades, Inquisition, Slavery...those are some biggies.  But, we can also think about the number of families and friendships that get torn apart because of the softer version of this same thing: religious intolerance.  Too often Christian zeal looks more like hatred to those who do not share the zealot's beliefs.  It's this question that leads to an ethic that focuses more energy on getting people into heaven than on the kind of compassionate ministry that Jesus actually did.  It's as if the correct answer to this question holds in itself some sort of magic power to heal and to save.  But, while Christians can go on mission trips to get thousands and even millions to confess Jesus as their personal Lord, or pray the "sinner's prayer" they don't seem nearly as interested in feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, caring for the sick and dying, advocating for the oppressed...the stuff that Jesus actually did with his ministry.  Interestingly, Jesus himself never asked anyone to pray the "sinner's prayer".  He never asked anyone if they were prepared for heaven, or if they knew they were going to heaven.   Yet, Christians have been dividing themselves and conquering others in Jesus' name with this question for centuries.

Did Jesus really die for this?

Well, I say NO!

The problem with this question is the assumption of movement.
Christianity always seems to answer this question by presuming that people move and heaven doesn't. Heaven is always a stationary destination that exists somewhere other than here, somewhere...out there.....in the cosmos, in the sky, in some sort of holy dimension.    People do all the moving according to the choices they make.    But, this model just doesn't line up with the Bible.

First of all, if this question were the penultimate of Christian questions, which is how our world treats it, then why doesn't Jesus ever ask it?  Wouldn't Jesus himself go around asking would-be converts if they would like to be saved or if they know how to get to heaven.  Wouldn't part of his preaching and teaching have been "the sinner's prayer", or some version of "Follow me, because Heaven is this way"?  Jesus never teaches this message.  When he is asked about heaven, or when he does teach on the subject he always uses the present tense.  Jesus is often saying, "The kingdom of heaven is...".  He never says, "When you die, the kingdom of heaven will be..."    Or, he says, "You already know the way, because I am the way."  Again, he uses present tense, "I am..." Christian orthodoxy has hung all sorts of legalism on these sayings over the centuries to support the assumption that somehow people have to do something right, get something right, pray something right in order to "know the way", but when we allow the Bible a little bit of freedom from the traditions, we see that Jesus simply doesn't say what, possibly, we've always thought he said on this subject.

Second, the Biblical image of heaven is always here on earth.  From the beginning of beginnings...Genesis...we hear that God created all things and placed the primary objects of His creation here on earth and then called it "Good".  Sinfulness enters and corrupts it, and then the goal of the salvation story is to restore God's "good" here on earth.  Nowhere is the image of salvation some sort of abandonment of earth and creation so that "good" goes somewhere else.  Heaven is here!

Third is the Biblical image of the restoration of Eden, otherwise known as heaven, or New Jerusalem in the Scripture cited for today.  Read this text and notice the direction of movement and who is doing the moving.  Heaven (New Jerusalem) is not some stationary destination for those who die in the faith.  It's just the opposite.  Heaven is the thing that's doing the moving, heaven is coming down.  People aren't going up some sort of stairway to heaven, heaven is coming down upon the earth...upon all of us...upon all things.

This is the God of love....the God who comes down!
The God who looks upon our insatiable appetite for legalism...our anthropologically destructive ways of exclusion...
our foolish self-righteousness...
our sin...

And still loves us....all of us!

The question for us to live with and form our ethic around isn't "How do I get to heaven?".
It's "How does heaven get to me?"

Heaven gets to us.

When I've had a terrible day, and part of what made it terrible was my lack of patience shown toward my son, but then at the end of the day I hear him pray his bedtime prayers and he includes me...Heaven gets to me!

When either of my young adult step-sons trust me enough to ask me for advice...Heaven gets to me.

Last week when a little girl in my children's sermon blurted out for everyone to hear, "I love my grandma!"
Heaven got to me.

When my Sunday School class recites the Lord's Prayer all by themselves.  Heaven gets to me.

When a woman with a little girl lights up with joy because I am handing her a check from the discretionary fund to prevent her landlord from evicting her.  Heaven gets to me.

When a man who I've known and been in conversation with for seven years comes to me and asks to be Baptized on Easter morning...Heaven gets to me.

When a youth who I pushed to go to Camp Luther in the summer comes up to me and gives me a hug.  Heaven gets to me.

How does heaven get to you?

Answer that question!
Form your Christian ethic around it.
And pretty soon you'll be living life looking for, and expecting to see, the kingdom of heaven coming down.


Prayer:  Lord God, so often we pray to you the words that Jesus taught us, "Thy Kingdom Come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  Help us to partner with you in acts of love and mercy that bring your kingdom down here among us.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

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MANNA: Flowers in Church

Why do we decorate the church with flowers?  That question comes up from time to time.  When church councils compare the costs of fresh flowers to that of silk flowers, an even more common question comes up.  Does it matter if the flowers are fresh, or can we get by with saving money on silk?

Flowers can cheer up someone who is sick.  They can speak of love to a sweetheart, share sympathy for a loss, communicate honor for moms, and respect for veterans.  When it comes to the use of flowers for communicating emotions, well...flowers speak for themselves.

There is a way in which this is true for the flowers in church as well.   Imagine the insides of most any cathedral you've ever been inside.  Beautiful architecture, but a room made of marble, stone and wood is also a bit cold with emotion.  The stained glass windows help to add color and light, but it's the flowers that add warmth and life.  Today's churches are made with an array of different materials including vibrant colors in fabrics on seating, tapestries, and carpeting.  Modern churches do not need flowers as much as the old Gothic cathedrals did to bring life and warmth into the room, but the tradition is still a good one to keep.

One of reason to keep this tradition is as a symbol of new life.
Gordon Lathrop, my seminary professor for worship and liturgics used to say, "Every Sunday should be treated like a little Easter."  Every Sunday we worship the crucified and risen Lord.  One way this weekly celebration of the gospel promise is communicated is by symbols.  Fresh flowers, particularly those that are seasonal, i.e. just like the ones we see outside, are a great way to symbolize our new life in Christ.  The Easter lily is perfect for the spring, but as the seasons change the same message is spoken through the seasonal change of flowers on the altar.

This is one very good reason to resist the financial pressures of saving money with silk flowers.  Consider the Genesis story where God created all things and called them "good".  God's way of creating real flowers is beautiful, fresh and creative.  The best humans can do is try to copy what God has already done with silk.  But, real flowers show God's creativity.  Silk flowers can look very real, but this will not fool the congregation for long.  Awareness of the use of silk flowers communicates a sense of falseness.  They may look life-like, but this is phony, and everyone knows it.  So, the emotional effect is no longer one of new life in Christ.  Instead it is a measure of scarcity, cheapness, and falsity.  Please understand, I'm not referring to actual responses from parishioners.  I'm referring more to the subconscious, emotional, and possibly visceral message that this symbolizes.  Think of it this way.  If your mom were in the hospital and you brought her fresh flowers she is likely to respond with joy and cheer.  However, what if instead of real flowers you brought her a similar bouquet of silk and plastic flowers?  The message you communicate is dramatically different between the two, even if they look the same.

One other reason to use fresh flowers in church is that flowers are used in various Biblical citations as metaphors for God's love and care for His creation and His church.  In the Song of Solomon the lily of the valley and the rose of Sharon are metaphors for God and Israel.  In the gospels Jesus references flowers as a symbol for God's care of creation in his teachings for us to not worry.  The flowers we use in our worship services are, on the one hand, reminders of these Biblical stories, but even more importantly they are ever-present symbols of God's love and care for His creation.

Last, but certainly not least, I must make mention of God's command to Moses and the Israelites on the production of the tabernacle and its accouterments.     In Exodus 25 God tells Moses to make a lampstand that will be in the holy of holies.   In verse 34, he commands, "And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers."  The tabernacle was to be like a moble church.  The land the Israelites were travelling through was very barren, stark of flowering plants.  Even so, inside the tabernacle would be this image of Aaron's flowering staff...a symbol of hope and promise for all of Israel.  God commanded that, at least, the image of a flowering plant adorn the altar area of worship.

 So, there you have it, four good reasons to use fresh flowers to decorate your worship space.
1.  To bring the warmth and life of God's creation inside.
2.  To communicate the new life of the gospel promise.
3.  The bible refers to flowers as symbols.
4.  God commanded that, at least, a flowering plant adorn the altar area.

If you would like to order flowers for Sunday worship at Living God Lutheran Church

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MANNA: Peace Be With You

Peace Be With You

John 20:19-23

When I was a younger man I enjoyed horror movies.   Looking back now, I really don't know why.  Maybe it was just the thrill of testing my courage.  The horror movies of my day have since been categorized as their own genre known as slasher films.   It didn't really matter which one you watched, the basic premise was the same for all of them.   Some poor soul was cruelly and unjustly put to death, and now the "ghost" of the victim is out for revenge.  Jason Vorhees (Friday the 13th) and Michael Myers (Halloween) were characters that became household names for their creative ways of "slashing" innocent bystanders as they sought revenge on anyone for what had been done to them.

When you think about it, that scenario is almost the same as that of Jesus.  Was he not cruelly and unjustly put to death on a cross?   Was he not betrayed just like Michael Myers?  Didn't his closest friend deny he had ever met him, just like Jason Vorhees?

There's one BIG difference, obviously.

Jesus didn't come back from the grave seeking revenge.  He came back offering forgiveness. 

It's no wonder Jesus had to say it to his disciples three times for them to believe it.

"Peace be with you." 

"Peace be with you." 

"Peace be with you." 

Jesus is not out for revenge. He gave himself willingly, in love.  

There is too much revenge seeking in our culture.  It has become the norm to go after those who have done us wrong and give them what we believe they deserve.  We have become a people who are filled with anger, not peace.  Subconsciously, we go through our days seeking moments in which we feel justified in venting it out in little doses on the people around us.   This is the devil's work, and it perpetuates our own sinfulness.  It's unhealthy, and certainly not peaceful. 

But, can it be true?  

Jesus comes back from the grave not to condemn us, not to remind us of our failures, not to exact revenge, but he comes with words of peace.   

Yes, our crucified and risen Lord comes to us to breathe on us the Spirit of forgiveness and peace.  

Even now, while our nostrils are still flaring in anger, 

while our motives are still seething with hostility, 

and while our thoughts are still scheming for revenge,

He comes to us with a promise of peace in the fresh air of forgiveness.  

Prayer

Breathe on me the fresh air of forgiveness, O Lord.  Help me to inhale slowly and deeply, that I may offer forgiveness and peace to others.  Amen

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